233: The Value of Your "Back-Pocket" Talk

I'm thinking back on the thrill of getting a request to speak. Especially when those gigs are a few months away, it feels like you've got all the time in the world to create your talk. A month out - you think - I should work on that - but I still have some time. I'll get to it… later. You know, waiting on that brilliant spark of inspiration. And then suddenly you're two weeks away, and panic sets in. No brilliant spark of inspiration - just a rock in the gut, realizing you've got a lot to do in a little time - and if you want to do this well you probably should have started… YESTERDAY. The next two weeks are miserable. Stressful. You're snapping at the people around you, staying up too late, not taking care of yourself (cause you're doing this ON TOP of everything else… Why does everything always happen at the same time, you ask yourself?! And then - the moment comes - and you step out front… and instead of feeling like a rockstar cause you're totally prepared - you feel scattered, scared, and know this whole thing could have gone better… IF.

1. If you had something you were working off of, instead of starting from scratch each time.
2. If you had given yourself more time, and weren't rushing the process.
3. If you weren't trying things out on the audience - and instead had pursued some outside help to get feedback, some guidance… and maybe even some encouragement.

Imagine what having a talk that is DONE and READY and in your back pocket can do…

1. It can save you time, stress, and all of the pulling out of the hair that seems to always - but doesn't need to - accompany creating a talk you can be proud of.

We never WANT that, until we've just experienced the NEED for it, which is typically after we didn't do it. And then we get lulled, once again, into complacency. Now I'm NOT saying that having a talk in your back pocket means you offer your audience a cookie-cutter approach. Each talk - each audience- each context - is different. But instead of starting from scratch - you're starting from 75% awesome. You have your core stories - and you've developed the key points they make. You have a WOW beginning, and a solid end. Instead of experimenting every time…you know it works. (Gosh, what a relief!) This is what it means to have a powerful Signature Talk in your back pocket that you TRUST - that you can lean on - that you've worked hard on and that will work hard for you. So what I want you to do…is I want you move 'creating your signature talk' to the top of your to do list. Maybe you've got some extra time on your hands?.. hello, pandemic. Maybe you're juggling a million things - and home schooling - AND trying to keep your anxiety at bay…hello pandemic. Either way - we can move speaking up the list - because we always do what's most important. If you want to make your mark - be known in your field as a go-to expert - and influence, move and impact your audience (whoever they may be)…then investing time and energy into your talk is one of the most powerful things you can do. And the good news is that over the next few weeks I've got some awesome resources coming your way to help. #1 - A free masterclass called - the TED Worthy Talk Map that outlines the 5 steps of creating your signature talk so that you can actually HAVE that talk in your back pocket when the moment comes, and you can start to create the demand for your message and yourself as the go-to expert on it. We have a few more dates for this masterclass - and all you have to do is go to bemoved.com/tedworthymasterclass to register In this masterclass I'll be sharing the 5 steps in the process of creating your signature talk - which is the exact process and approach they've used with my speakers 1:1 over the last 20 years…and now I'm sharing that process with you! My hope is that I can inspire as many of you as possible to create that talk and step into your space and place as a thought leader and change-maker! And - if you're someone who's really ready to dive in, my Signature Talk Studio course opens on THURSDAY!!! And can I just tell you?! I'm so so so so excited… This is going to be epically awesome - not only because it gives you a process to walk through the creation process from beginning to end but in that process are built in bite-sized wins along the way so you know you're on the right track and you can finally FINISH that talk feeling proud. And - because it's not just a course - but it's also a community, and coaching. I've added three half-day "salons"so we can workshop your stuff, together. <3 It's gonna be awesome.